Backsized carpet



Patented May 5, 1953 BACKSIZED CARPET Emory P. Mersereau, Thornwood, N. Y., assignor to Alexander Smith, Incorporated, White Plains, N. Y., a corporation of New York No Drawing. Application April 6, 1950, Serial No. 154,444

1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to a backsizing composition for carpets to improve hand and tuft bind and to carpets back-coated by said composition.

Axminister carpets have been back-coated with starch, water-soluble gums and glue compositions to increase stiffness, improve hand and bind the various backing and pile yarns together. In the case of velvet carpets, these physical properties have usually been obtained by the character of the weave and the sizing of the backing threads in the yarn form with the exception of certain types of velvet carpets, which have been backsized with a plasticized cellulos nitrate lacquer. 1

One obect of the present invention is to provide a new and improved backsizing composition, which will give the same properties to the fabric backing of a carpet as are obtained by the use of special backing yarns and weave construction, thereby allowing for greater flexibility of fabric design, which improves the dimensional stability and retention of hand on commercial shampooing, which improves resistance to fraying of a cut edge, which produces a higher tuft bind and which produces a fabric having the desired physical properties, but at a lower cost or produces a fabric having a higher quality and at a cost not higher than that of the prior art.

Another object is to provide a new and improved carpet having a backing fabric coated with a sizing composition of the general character described.

In accordance with certain features of the present invention, the sizing composition contains an elastomeric resin and desirably a styrene-copolymer in latex form. The resin found most desirable comprises a blend of different styrene-butadiene copolymers and a thickening agent.

The desirable formulation for the backsizing composition comprises by weight, 27% to 98% of a styrene-butadiene copolymer latex having approximately 70 parts of styrene and parts of butadiene, 0 to 68% of styrene-butadiene copolymer latex having approximately 80 parts of styrene and 20 parts of butadiene and 2% to 10% of a thickening agent. The solid contents of the backsizing composition desirably amounts to 10% to A desirable thickening agent for the purpose of the present invention must have high viscosity and low solid contents. Suitable thickening agents are sodium polyacrylate, methyl cellulose, carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium alginate, hydroxyethyl cellulose, karaya gum, swollen starch, tapioca and other types of commercially available gums. Sodium polyacrylate has been found especially suitable for the purpose.

A backsizing composition as described, will yield a film which has a modulus high enough to impart the desired stiffness to the fabric and which at the same time is extensible enough to prevent cracking when the fabric is rolled, folded or creased. The film possesses good adhesion to the yarn components of the fabric (cotton, rayon, jute, wool and/or nylon) has no appreciable odor or color, is stable to light and oxidative aging and is resistant to the action of water, soap or water. Moreover, the film is incapable of softening floor varnish on direct contact therewith under pressure.

More specifically a backsizing composition containing about 46.4% of styrene-30 butadiene copolymer latex, 46.4% of styrene-20 butadiene copolymer latex, 7.2% sodium polyacrylate, and a solids content of 18.5% has been found highly suitable. However, the proportions of these ingredients may vary as indicated in the following examples, illustrating certain ways in which the principle of the invention may be applied.

EXAlVIPLES Percentages on a dry solzds baszs 70 tyrene-3O Butadiene Conolvmer Latex (Darex Co olvmcr 3L, Dow Latex 513K, Buta rcne SD.) 46.4 46.4 46.4 46.4 67.0 48.4 43.8 93.0 46.5 28.0 tvrene-LS Butadiene Oopolvmer Latex (Darex Oo olymer Latex 34L or Dow Latex X737K) 46.4 46.4 46.4 46 4 28.7 48 4 43.8 6 Sodium Polvacrylatc (Acrysol GS) 7.2 8.3 3 2 13.4 7.0 7.0 7.0 McthvlGellflose 7.2 Sodium Aleinate Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose Percent Solids l8. 5

The backsizing composition may be applied to the carpet fabric by means of a roller dipping into a bath of the sizing composition described and having surface contact with said fabric, while the carpet is moving. in one direction. The roller may be rotated for peripheral movement in the opposite direction where it contacts the carpet fabric.

What is claimed is:

A carpet comprising tufts secured in a textile fabric backing, said backing being coated with a composition consisting essentially by weight on a dry solids basis of 28% to 67% of 70 styrene- 30 butadiene copolymer and 28.7% to 65% .of 35 styrene-15 butadiene copolymer, said composition improving the tuft bind to. said backing.

EMORY P. MERSEREAU.

4 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,976,679 Fikentscher et a1. Oct. 9, 1934 2,115,581 Johnson Apr. 26, 1938 2,517,389 Dow et a1. Aug. 1, 1950 2,541,748 Daly Feb. 13, 1951 OTHER REFERENCES 

